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Sumaye attends Addis conference on UN reforms
2005-11-01 07:36:53
By Guardian Correspondent, Addis Ababa
The Prime Minister, Frederick Sumaye, arrived in Addis Ababa on Sunday to attend the Fifth Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government On Reforms of the United Nations Security Council. The meeting started yesterday.
Sumaye who is representing President Benjamin Mkapa at the meeting, will join other African Heads of State and Government to discuss only one agenda, notably to receive a report of the African Union (AU)follow-up Committee of Ten on the United Nations Reforms particularly, on the expansion of the Security Council.
At the Fourth Extraordinary session of the Assembly of the AU held in Abuja in January this year, a committee of 15 countries was formed to work out AU’s common position on the UN Reforms, especially the reforms of the Security Council of which Tanzania is a member.
The Committee of 15 met in Ezulwini, Swaziland last February and adopted the Ezulwini Consensus which stipulates that Africa be given 2 permanent seats with all the privileges, including the right to veto and five non-permanent seats on the security council.
The Ezulwini Consensus was confirmed by the AU’s fifth Ordinary Summit held in Libya in July this year, which came up with a Ministerial Committee as a follow-up mechanism with the mandate to market AU’s position especially engaging the Group of Four (G4) comprising of Brazil, Germany, Indian and Japan.
Informed sources at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa are convinced that Africa’s position is well defined in the Ezulwini Consensus which clearly states that Africa be allocated seats as proposed.
The sources have hinted that in so far as the modality of Africa’s representation is concerned, the AU will decide on the criteria and modalities.
Current aspirants for the non-permanent seats are Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Angola, Kenya, Libya and Senegal.
A source close to the Tanzanian delegation to the meeting said that Tanzania fully supports Africa’s position and considers the power of veto to be the quintessence of permanent membership of the Security Council.
’’Africa should continue to demand for its right of power of veto until it is either obtained or a decision is made for its total divestiture by all members,’’ the source added.
Prime Minister Sumaye’s delegation includes the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Dr A Shareef, and Tanzania’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, M W Mangachi.
The Prime Minister and his delegation are expected back today.
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